After a couple of these, you may find yourself wondering how so many bars get this classic wrong, when only three ingredients are essential. Xico gets it perfect, and the bar staff here is not being crafty by sneaking in some artisan orange liqueur; it’s just plain, old triple sec, but it has the right sweetness to balance the fresh lime and Lunazul silver, which since my introduction to the Xico margarita has become my house tequila. (3715 S.E. Division St., 503-548-6343, xicopdx.com)

I like a spicy cocktail, but the idea of habanero-infused vodka had me a bit scared. I shouldn’t have been. After a few fiery sips, I learned what the Peruvians — whose cuisine is celebrated at the bustling Pearl spot — have long known: Spice balances exquisitely with the tartness of the passionfruit. That’s represented here with a housemade syrup. The drink, the restaurant’s most popular, is named after a famed fortress in Peru. (1314 N.W. Glisan St., 503-228-9535, andinarestaurant.com)

The Library is a new addition to the Portland cocktail scene, but drinks like this show its bartenders already possess the precision of Swiss watchmakers. The strength of the whiskey, the tartness of the lemon, the sweetness of the sugar and the dilution of the ice are all in sublime harmony, with Combier orange liqueur adding that background note of something extra and an egg white (which you can omit) providing sumptuous texture. (1124 S.W. Alder St., 503-764-9374, mwlpdx.com)

This summer, I led my list of cocktails for our Diner section with this tiki classic, and there’s still nothing to beat it in the strength department. Fueled by a blend of quality rums, the punch is tamed by a bit of citrus, the Caribbean syrup falernum and Don’s Mix, that secret formula Don the Beachcomber dreamed up in the 1930s and is today brought to us by Hale Pele owner Blair Reynolds as a tantalizing mix of grapefruit and cinnamon. (2733 N.E. Broadway, 503-662-8454, halepele.com)

Sure, you could take this house-bottled soda and dress it up with some Gosling’s Black Seal rum for a delightful Dark N’ Stormy, but I dare say it’s even better without alcohol. Blasphemy, I know, but the rich flavor here — bar maestro Jeffrey Morgenthaler makes it with fresh ginger juice, lemon, simple syrup and water — is a treat for both designated driver and the cocktail aficionado looking for a breather. (1014 S.W. Stark St, 503-228-3333, clydecommon.com)

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Best trend: Cocktails on tap

Imagine, a complex potable whipped up in seconds. Cocktail drinkers are increasingly benefitting from the speed long enjoyed by fans of draft beer as spots such as Imperial create cocktails that can be whipped up in a large batch and served on tap. It saves customer time and bartender time, often knocking down the price of the drink. Imagine my surprise at getting an excellent mai tai — that’s good rum, fresh lime, orgeat, orange curaçao and a bit of simple syrup — served on draft at a happy hour price at Interurban. (OK, so we’re up to six memorable sips, I guess.)

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Worst trend: Strange vodka

The march of bizarre vodka flavors continued unabated. Orange vodka? Sure. Bacon vodka? If you must. (We’re in hog-wild Portland after all.) Iced birthday cake vodka? That’s not OK even at a sorority party. So do these vodkas actually taste like bubble gum or whipped cream or Froot Loops? I’ll never know.

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Hope for 2014

With many higher-end bars keeping their list of signature drinks on the short side, it would be nice to see a wider middle ground between those relatively ascetic lineups of concoctions in which spirits are sullied by only the faintest drop of aromatic bitters and the cocktail menus in which you need the assistance of a search engine to decipher all the exotic liqueurs and French aperitif wines. How about a few more drinks that feature common quality spirits and fresh produce? No doubt, they’d be a good start on a list of memorable sips for 2014.

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Your memorable drinks

Have a favorite cocktail from the past year? Share it in the comments.